Interlude in the Dance
by DarkJaina
Summary: No, it's not romance. Jake has a startling dream in which the leaders of two appalling forces meet ...


Title: Interlude in the Dance

Author: Jenni

Rating: G

Category: General

Keywords: Animorphs, Jake 

Spoilers: Eh, a little of #45, I suppose.

Summary: The leaders of two appalling forces meet ...

Archive: Sure, just let me know.

Feedback: [JenJaina@aol.com][1]

Disclaimer: Jake, Cassie, Rachel, Tobias, Marco, Ax, and Visser One do not belong to me. Neither do basically everyone else I listed in this fic. These amazing characters belong to the Great Ms. Applegate. ::bows::

~*~*~*~*~

My name is Jake.

And I was dreaming.

This wasn't one of my usual dreams. Not a peaceful one, of flying, of swimming, or of kissing my beloved Cassie. Not a nightmare of screams, of carnage, of death. No, this was a different dream.

In this dream, I was on a flat plain. The grass around me was green, lush, alive. I could see, with perfect clarity, millions of bugs crawling across the earth. To my left, a single, huge tree stood. Its leaves were brilliant green; birds of all kinds sung on its branches; its trunk was too big around for me to contemplate. A calming wind whispered through the leaves and ruffled my hair.

On my right was everyone who had ever helped us in our fight. They appeared as shapeless lights, the essence of who they were, but I recognized each. Erek and the Chee; Toby and the Hork-Bajir; Aftran, Tidwell and the peace movement; the Ellimist; even every animal we had morphed to fight the Yeerks. Closer to me were Rachel, Tobias, Marco, and Ax. And Cassie. Her soul was smiling. Always I had Cassie.

My dream-self turned around. There was a clear line drawn a few feet in front of me. Beyond the line, there was no grass. An identical tree stood opposite mine, gnarled and sick, surrounded by dead bird bodies. No sounds came from that place; no wind blew through it.

People were on that side, too. The Crayak, Hork-Bajir, Taxxons, Gedds. Aliens I had seen but never identified. And humans. Too many humans. They were really Yeerks, but had stolen the bodies, so they held some sort of power over the hosts' essence. It is impossible to describe; the logic of it baffled me. I noticed, with a pang, a sneering spirit of Tom on that side. But Tom was on my side of the line, too.

But the most important person on that side of that line between life and death was Visser One.

He held the essence of Alloran. Like Tom, Alloran was on my side as well, but he was transparent, whereas Visser One was solid. He had the body. He had the power.

So, you are the fearless commander of the rebellion of Earth.

I suppose I am. In this dream-state, I spoke in thoughts. I wasn't afraid. We were two leaders: one of good, one of evil. There would be no battle today, none that would hurt or kill, anyway. Only understanding.

How did you do it? the Visser snarled. You're a human _child_! How could you be so strong, have bested me for so long?

To be honest, I don't know, I answered truthfully. I ask myself the same question often. I've come to believe it's a variety of things: the cause I fight for, the duty I must perform, the will of the human spirit to be free, to _live_. I believe it's all these things. But mostly? I fight for Cassie. For Rachel and Tobias and Marco and Ax. I fight for everyone I love. I paused, considering my words. That is why I have so much help. People, no matter what species, need to survive, to live. They will fight for it, they will live for it, they will die for it. That is why I will win, I continued softly. Someday, I will win.

The Visser simply laughed. I admire your courage, your ... skill. Perhaps, in another lifetime, we might have been comrades ... allies.

You're wrong, I answered plainly. We could never be allies. I can see your heart, Visser. You're evil, to your very core. I'm not a good person. I've done too many horrible things to be considered good or a hero. But I love. You don't.

Visser One was silent for a while, studying me. Then let us continue our dance, he finally said.

And may the best man survive, I whispered.

We turned back to our troops, and the dream ended.

As I awoke, I wondered if the Visser had had the same dream. But, whether he had or not, the message was clear. Someday, it would end. Someday, one of us would win. Until then, we would carry out our dance of death.

And perhaps one day, we would finally rest ...

~*~*~*~*~

Okay, so this really sprung from book #38 the Arrival. There is a part in the book on page 19 where Jake and the Visser (then, he was Three) give an order at the same time. So, I just wondered what it would be like for the two commanders to meet. This might not have come out as I hoped, but when you type a fic at 11:30, what do you expect? So, I love feedback, and especially criticism on this one, so please tell me what you think, good or bad by reviewing or e-mailing me at [JenJaina@aol.com][1].

Thanks!

~*~*~*~*~

   [1]: mailto:JenJaina@aol.com



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